Pin sets are frequently disposed on circuit boards, such as backplanes, communications boards, or the like, of computer systems, e.g., network servers or the like, for facilitating electrical connections between various electrical components of the computer systems. A cable often connects a pin set at one location of a computer system to a pin set at another location of the computer system. For example, in some applications, a cable is used to connect a pin set on backplane of a server to a pin set on a communications board of the server. For other applications, the processing capability of a server is expanded by using a cable to interconnect a pin set connected to a processor of the server to a pin set connected to another processor of the server.
Pin sets are often disposed on a circuit board so that the pins protrude from a surface of the circuit board. The pins are received in pin-receiving sockets of a cable connector connected to a cable to connect the pin set to the cable. For some applications, a shroud is pressed onto the pins to help align and/or orient the cable connector. Typically, the shroud has a plurality of holes passing therethrough so that when the shroud is pressed onto the pins, each of the pins respectively passes through one of the holes of the shroud.
One problem with connecting cable connectors to pin sets, such as pin sets protruding from circuit boards, is that the pins do not always properly align with the pin-receiving sockets of the cable connector, for example, because one or more pins are bent. In situations where there is misalignment between pins and the respective receiving sockets of the cable connector, forcing the cable connector on the pin set in spite of the misalignment can damage the cable connector. Damage to cable-connectors due to relatively large misalignment is usually substantial and usually results in the immediate replacement of the cable connector and immediate replacement or repair of any misaligned pins. Damage to cable-connectors due to relatively small misalignment is not readily detected and is often manifested in poor contact between the cable connectors and the pins during use, at which time the cable connector is replaced and any misaligned pins are replaced or repaired.
However, the procedure for repairing misaligned pins usually involves visual inspection and applying fingers and/or tools not specifically intended for pin repair, such as screwdrivers, knives, tweezers, or the like, to the misaligned pins. This procedure is frequently ineffective because, for many applications, the alignment tolerances between the pins and the pin connector are small, e.g., because the diameter of the pins and the spacing between adjacent pins are small, as are the diameter of and spacing between the pin-receiving sockets of the cable connector, making it difficult to accurately align the pins and/or to accurately visually verify the alignment of the pins.
In view of the above problem, pin sets are visually inspected prior to connecting cable connectors thereto. However, visual detection of misaligned pins, e.g., due to small alignment tolerances, is often difficult. Moreover, the repair procedure described above is usually used to repair any misaligned pins that can be visually identified.